From the "New Century Dictionary of the English Language, copyright 1944 by the D. Appleton-Century Comapny, New York & London. Yoeman, (yo'man) {"long "o", "a" as in errant, publican, rural" I don't have the symbols in my system. jg} n.; pl. -men. [ME. yoman, yeman; origin uncertain; cf. ME. yong(sic) man, servant, attendant, lit. 'young man' (AS. geong man), also OFries. gaman(dash over the first a), villager, gafolk(dash over the a), village people, ga, go(dash over a & o), D. gouw, G. gau, Goth. gawi, district province, country.] A servant, attendant, or subordinate official in a royal or other great household (archaic or his.: as, yeoman of the buttery, the wardrobe or chamber; yeoman of the guard, see phrase below.); a subordinate or assistant, as of a sheriff or other official in a craft or trade (archaic or hist.); a petty officer in the navy (as a ship's yeoman) an engineer's yeoman, or a paymaster's yeoman in the U.S. Navy, each in charge of stores in a particular department; a yeoman of signals in the British Navy); also, one of a class of lesser freeholders (ranking below the gentry) who cultivated their own land, early admitted in England to political rights (as, "It was only the fairly well-to-do yeoman who could contribute to the political weight of his class": Stubb's "Constitutional Hist. of Eng.," xxi _ 481); hence, in general, one of the landowning farmer class (as, "Mr. Benshaw was a small holder, a sturdy English yeoman of the new school": H.G> Wells's Bealby," vii); sometimes, a tenant farmer; also, one coming from the farming class (as, "the yeomen who drew the bow [at Crecy and Poiters]...accustomed to use it in their native fields," Hallam's "Europe during the Middle Ages," i.2; "The Roman legionaries were no longer yeoman taken from the plough," Froude's Caesar," xiv.); also, a member of the yeomanry cavalry (Eng.). --yeoman of the guard, a member of the body-guard of the English sovereign instituted in 1485, which now consists of 100 men (with their officers), retaining the picturesque old-time uniform and carrying a halberd, and having duties which are purely ceremonial; sometimes (erroneously), one of the warders of the Tower of London, who wear a similar uniform. Cf. beef-eater. --yeoman's (or yeoman) service, good, useful or substantial service: as "I once did hold it...a baseness to write fair...but, sir, lnow It did me yeoman's service (Shakspere's (sic) "Hamlet," v. 2.36). -- yeomanly, a. Of the condition or rank of a yeoman; pertaining to or befitting a yeoman. -- yeomanly, adv. Like or as befits a yeoman. --yeomanry, n. Yeoman collectively; hence, a British volunteer cavalry force, orig. composed of yeomen farmers, and county gentlemen, which now forms part of the British Territorial Army. --yeowoman, n.; pl. -women (-wim"en). A woman enlisted as a yeoman in the U.S. Navy. KEY: cf. Latin confer, compare ME - Middle English AS - Anglo Saxon D. - Dutch G. - German Goth. - Gothic OFries - Old Friesic I spelled as they did. However, they did have the use of different fonts to indicate unusual spelling, etc. I don't have that. Hope this helps you. Judy Germann ---------- > From: JANM22222@aol.com > To: Love-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Love > Date: Monday, September 15, 1997 10:46 PM > > Could someone tell me what this means "Yoeman"? > > > > Thanks, > > Jan > :) >